From The Campus To The Red House

Tag: watercolor

This week I continued working on drawing perspective. Lately I’d been drawing rooms from the point of view of an observer facing the wall, and this time I wanted the observer to be looking at the angle of the room. It meant switching from one-point to two-point perspective, which I’m so glad I finally did, because it opens up so many new possibilities.

Since the monster under the bed only comes out at night, I also had to start thinking about light and shadows, something that’s on my creative to-do list. Spontaneously I’m drawn to bright colors and in my head this bedroom was full of bright painted furniture, colorful patterns on the bed linen, the wallpaper and the pictures on the wall.

Kristin recommended: “err on the light side, you can always go darker. Using a color opposite on the color wheel is a good way to darken hues.” (which I really need to explore, since I tend to always use black when I need to darken a color).

Conclusion: I definitely want to learn more about color theory. Do you have any tips or resources to recommend?

This is my contribution for Illustration Friday’s promt “tea”. This week, my focus was on planning the whole drawing ahead so I could paint everything on the same layer instead of adding bits and pieces using collage. I do like the collage technique, especially to create some shadows. But I have to be honest: sometimes I just tend to use it just because I’m lazy!

Here is what I did this time:
1. Spend more time than usual drawing the whole thing in pencil, using photos as reference for the perspective.
2. Paint in watercolors
3. Add some lines and texture with color pencils.
4. Use white acrylics to paint the vapor swirls.

Like this:

It’s almost midnight, and I’d need to add some extra shadows and reflections, then try getting a better photo, but it’s time to call it a day! So, this is the illustration I created for this week’s Illustration Friday prompt: “mischief”.

I got the idea pretty quickly, but started painting a bit late so it was a challenge to finish it on time. Yet I’m so glad I pushed myself ! Painting interiors (especially scandinavian) is on my list of goals for this year. I used watercolor and color pencils. The boxes, the plants, the faucet, the cupboard handles, the gnome, the cat and the curtain are painted separately, then cut and glued on the background. I’m getting better at looking for pictures on pinterest to use as references when I need help with figuring out lights and shadows, perspective, etc.

Like this:

Something that happens at sunset at this time of the year. Here is a similar photo from last year.

Something I’m happy about: Sabrina Palmares, an artist and illustrator from the Philippines, recently relaunched her blog, Mustard World. I love her paper cuts and watercolors. Einstein is also on her desk, by the way!

Like this:

If you’ve been around these pages for a while, you’ve seen this little man before. A lot. I know! Cut from cereal boxes. Clumsily turned into greeting cards. Looking somewhat better on cheap watercolor paper.

What a process it’s been for me, slowly getting there. So many changes, so many things to learn, many more yet to learn.

I often think about how important reading has been in getting me where I am today. It was the words of Virginia Woolf, that took my breath away. It was the hundreds of pages I read a when I took a course in philosophy of science, that gave me attacks of palpitations. It was in books that I found the reassurance that I could safely leave the lab — that I would still experience the intellectual excitement that had brought me toward physics.

So, here is my bookworm again. And here I am, ready to let it go away. I made two different versions. I hope you like them.

Light is scarce, here up north, these days. When your illustration work relies on photography, and the sun, at 2 p.m., decides to great you with one minute of grazing light before disappearing, you need to run outside. I doesn’t matter if you’re busy editing the story you want to send to a magazine before the end of the day. I doesn’t matter if you’ve got tons of emails to write. You need to run outside with the camera and tripod, and whatever chair you find to display your art on. You need to seize the moment. There is very little time to adjust your focus before sunset.

When most have nothing and a few have everything, put on your red scarf, put on your carnation pants and walk for justice.

This one was inspired by illustration friday’s topic trouble. I cut it in upcycled food packaging. The eyes are made with lentils, like for that one. I used watercolors and watercolor pencils and photographed it outside on a sunny day.

I couldn’t finish it in time for last friday, but here it is now! How do you like it?